Portable window-balcony



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No. 545,242. Patented Aug. 27,1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT FURBUSH G. MERRITT, OF BROOKPORT, NEW YORK.

PORTABLE WIN DOW-BALCONY.

$PECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,242, dated August27, 1895.

7 Application filed December 31,1894. Serial No. 533,381. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FURBUSH G. lVlE-RRITT, of Brockport, in the countyof Monroe and State of New York, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Portable Window-Balconies; and I do hereby declare thatthe followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the drawings accompanying this application.

My improvement relates to portable balconies to facilitate the washingof windows, for painting, repairing, and other purposes.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of partshereinafter described, and embraced in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the apparatusattached in a window, the window beingshown in section. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of same. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the attachment. Fig. 4 is anenlarged sectional view of the top of one of the sliding clamps. Fig. 5is a plan view of the guard.

A indicates the lower portion of a window.

Bis the balcony. It consists of two side bars a a; a platform b, boltedthereto on the under side and stiffened by metallic straps c 0; twoangular braces 61 d, pivoted to the outer ends of the side bars andextending down angnlarly and resting against the wall below the window;two stay-bars or straps ff on opposite sides pivoted to the side barsand provided with long slot-s g g, which slide over bolts h h of thebraces; two draw-bars 7671?, provided with ratchet-teethl Z, pivoted tothe inner ends of the side bars and extending inward over the sill andcasing to the inner side of the window, and two clamps t' 21, sliding onthe draw-bars and provided with springdogs m m, which engage with theratchets, said clamps sliding up and holding against the inside of thecasing to tighten the draw bars in place. The inner faces of the clampsare curved to fit under the casing and are provided with softpacking-strips p p, to prevent marring of the wood. In use, the platformis placed outside the window, with its edge resting against the edge ofthe sill and with the side bars a a. resting over the sill. The braces dd are dropped down to the extent of the stay-bars f f and rest againstthe wall. The draw-bars 70 70 are provided with bends r 0', which carrythem over the riser s of the window and then extend back in straightlengths to the inside of the window, as shown.

O is a guard attached to the window-frame above the platform, serving asa safety device to prevent accidental falling. Ila-consists of two barst 25, whose ends are bent in at right angles to meet the casing, themiddle lengths overlapping and sliding on each other, so as to lengthenor shorten the guard to fit windows of dilferent. widths, and providedwith'guide-loops u. 11., attached, respectively, to the lengths, wherebythe parts are held together. At the ends of the guard which connect withthe casing are stays o 1*, each made of a single piece of stiff wireinserted vertically through a hole in the guard, the

upper end turned into a long hook to, which engages with a screw-eye so,inserted in the casing, and the lower end bent downward vertically andextending outward laterally, forming ashoulder 2, which rests againstthe side of the casing, and the end y then carried upward and backwardand riveted through the guard and forming a brace. To connect the guardwith the screw-eyes, it is turned up and is then turned downward to thehorizontal position, when the shoulders z of the stays strike thecasing, in which condition it is self-sustaining and serves as a perfectsafety-guard to the person standing on the platform. Being made in twoparts, which slide on each other, it can be fitted to windows of anywidth and can be engaged with screw-eyes placed at varying distancesfrom each other.

Window-balconies are well known, but as ordinarily made have complicatedmeans of attachment, in some cases having cross-bars extending acrossthe window inside and out, and in others having clamps operated byscrews or similar means.

A special feature of my invention is the draw-bars 7t 70, pivoteddirectly to the side bars or the platform, extending inward across thewindow-sill, and the sliding clamps '5 t' thereon for fastening them tothe casing, no other holding attachments being required. Thisconstruction greatly facilitates the attachment and removal of thebalcony and lessens the number of parts used and enables the structureto be folded up in compact form when not in use. When folded, the braces01 cl are turned up in line with the side bars a a and the draw-bars 2a7a are swung around under the platform in close contact therewith, theclamps i 11 standing crosswise, the whole being in very compact form.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a window balcony, the combination, with the platform I) andsustaining braces d (I, of the ratcheted draw bars 70 7c pivoted to theplatform and extending through the window, the clamps sliding on thedraw bars, and the spring dogs m m engaging with the ratchets, as shownand described and for the purpose specified.

2. The portable balcony consisting of the side-pieces a a, the platformZ) the pivoted braces d d, the slotted stays ff, the ratcheted draw bars7t 7t pivoted to the side bars, ex-

tending through the window, the clampsr' 1i sliding on the draw bars andthe spring dogs m m engaging with the ratchet teeth, as shown anddescribed and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with the guard G, consisting of two parts slidingone upon the other, of the stays at the ends of the guards, eachconsisting of a hook to which engages with a screw eye, a shoulder zoffset to bear against the casing, and a brace y connected with theguard, as shown and described and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

FURBUSH G. MERRITT.

Witnesses:

R. F. OSGOOD, CHAS. A. WIDENER.

